Medical treatise by John Arderne

c.1430

Intro

During medieval times, most professional medical support was only available to monasteries and the highly educated. For ordinary people, especially those outside towns, it would have been difficult to access support from educated doctors. Those in need of medical assistance might instead have turned to local people who had medical knowledge derived from folk traditions and practical experience. John Arderne (died c.1377), an English surgeon, composed medical works on topics such as the treatment of eyes and the cure of anal fistula. His works circulated widely, and today are fascinating in a number of respects, not least because of their beautiful illustrations.